The Competition
by BoilingHeart
Summary: When an unlikely pair cross paths, Roderich and Natalya work together to win a music competition in the community for some cash, since, well, Natalya is homeless and Roderich was in trouble with money. But Natalya has some trust issues. MAJOR issues, considering her past. You're probably thinking, how could they POSSIBLY ever work together like that? One-shot.


The first of my "Unpopular Pairing Oneshots". AustriaxBelarus.

There are so many unrecognized pairings, so I decided that I will be writing a ton of one shots in honour of them all. Here is my first one.

* * *

Roderich walked down the long hallway of the music store. He was in search of some sheet music, and hadn't found anything that he was interested in. Roderich played many instruments. The piano, violin, cello, viola, clarinet, almost everything found in a symphony. He could sing too, but was embarrassed when doing so.

Roderich sighed after walking around the shop almost seven times.

"Not a single piece I'm interested in. I've played almost everything else here." Roderich muttered.

Roderich was about to leave the shop when he saw a poster taped to the wall. It was a contest.

_Come to the Trinity Community Center with a partner and perform in front of the city!_

_You can sing, play instruments or both! As long as there is two of you!_

_The winners win $1,000 for the best music performance!_

_Number one rule: Must include music!_

_Competition on Friday, June 26_

Exactly two weeks to enter. Roderich needed the money, and would enjoy beating everyone in town, but alas, he had no one. He figured that maybe he would find someone eventually, but doubted it. Still, he wanted it. So he got a copy of the poster and walked out of the shop.

While he was walking, he heard a beautiful voice. A voice so beautiful, with an enchanting melody and as strong as an opera singer. Roderich felt compelled to follow the beautiful voice.

Oh the beauty of the sound! So vibrant! So alive! It gave him goosebumps as he blindly followed the sound like a child on Christmas morning.

The music led him to an alley, and he stopped the moment he found a woman sitting against the wall, singing her lungs out. She had a bow resting upon her hair, and wore a wrinkled blue and white dress. Her blonde hair spilled over her face, and she looked beautiful despite her slouching position. Her eyes were closed as she swayed to the rhythm of her own music, and every note gave Roderich a chill down his spine.

Roderich dared to walk closer, and the woman stopped suddenly and jumped from her seating position, turning to glare at Roderich with her violet eyes. her entire figure seemed to shift, yet remain the same. Her body was coiled to attack, and she pulled a knife from her sleeve and wielded it in her hands. Roderich jumped back, startled by her reaction. he fell backwards on to his back, knocking the wind out of him. Within an instant she was inches within his face, a knife to his neck.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Whatever I did I'm sorry!" Roderich stuttered, fear inscripted within his voice.

She glared at him for a moment, then backed away.

"Who the fuck are you and why are you here?" She spat coldly. the words bit him like venom.

"E-Edelstein. Roderich Edelstein. I was just... I heard... I'm sorry..." he stuttered.

"Okay okay I heard enough. you're that musician everyone talks about, huh?" She asked as she slid her knife back into her sleeve. "Natalya Arlovskaya. Sorry for... my um, behaviour, I suppose."

Roderich was still shaken, but he was enchanted. Her beauty, her reflexes, her voice, everything about her left Roderich awestruck. He had never seen a finer piece of art.

"It's fine. I just happened to hear you singing as I was walking past." Roderich said as he scratched his neck nervously.

"Gee, I was that loud? How embarrassing." She muttered more to herself than to him. She tugged at her bangs, and tried to avoid eye contact. "It must've made your ears bleed."

"Oh no, it was beautiful! I have never heard such a vibrant voice like yours!" Roderich exclaimed and walked closer. Natalya backed away instinctively. She didn't seem to trust him. Roderich took notice of her body language and backed away. "S-Sorry. I hope I'm not invading your personal space."

"Well, you did kinda walk into my little area here, so, yeah." She growled. "Unlike you, Mr. Fancy pants, I don't have a sweet, luxurious home. No, I lost whatever I had, and am forced to live with only the clothes on my back. I don't need your pity, nor do I need your compliments, and I sure as hell don't need you here. Period."

"I'm sorry about that. And I don't know what you've heard, but I surely don't live in a luxurious home. I'm known around town for my music, but I'm certainly not rich. I live in a cheap apartment, and I need the money for rent or I'll get evicted." Roderich sighed. "But perhaps, I can help the both of us."

Natalya looked up, and for a brief moment, hope filled her. But she dropped the emotion quickly, for it was hope that had doomed her to begin with. "Now how the fuck do you think you can just walk up and help some random stranger you found in an alley? Who the hell do you think you are? Some sort of life changing, good looking hero who comes to fix my life? Hell no." Natalya slumped back down to her wall, and forced the tears that threatened to escape back.

"W-Wait, no, I can really help. You see-"

"No, stop right there. I don't want to hear anymore."

"What's your problem with me?'

"My problem? My problem?! You think you can just waltz in here, 'Hey, I like your voice! Here, lemme change your life and maybe we can fuck and I'll forget all about you!', then you can leave now or never be seen again."

"I said no such thing, and have no intentions of such! How can you make such assumptions?"

Natalya looked up to glare at him once more, teary eyed. "There is no way in hell that I will fall for that shit again!" She yelled, and cuddled up into a fetal position, where she lay her head down to cry. Roderich felt bad, and wanted to help somehow. But he had no idea how. He took a seat beside Natalya and sat in that same position, and thought of what to say next.

"What's wrong? Maybe if you talk about it, you'll feel better." Roderich said soothingly.

Those words that Roderich spoke hit Natalya like a bullet. Those had been the very words her older brother used to say when she was down. Those words that always made Natalya feel that someone had cared for her. Those words that were believed to have disappeared from her life after the death of her brother 12 years ago. She couldn't help but sob at those memories.

"After my brother died, I struggled to support myself. My older sister, Katyusha had gone off and gotten married, and I didn't want to bother her with my problems, so I was alone. I had a job that could barely give me enough money for food, and for a week, I just walked about the streets hungry, unable to eat until my next paycheck. That's when I met him." Natalya took a deep breath to prevent herself from sobbing again. She was already embarrassed enough to be crying in front of a complete stranger.

"His name was Alfred. He we accidentally bumped into each other when we crossed paths at the sidewalk. We talked for a bit, and he took me out for some coffee and food. We got to know each other, and fell in love. Well, at least I did.

But he took care of me. He bought me new clothes, fed me, and even let me move in with him. I was doing great. I was no longer underweight, I wasn't in fear of being evicted, and I no longer needed a job. He had convinced me to quit my job, telling me that I didn't need it since I was with him. One day, he got an offer to go work in another country, and get paid twice as much. So he packed his bags, and just like that, he was gone, never to be seen again.

I had no job. I couldn't pay for rent, so I was evicted. My heart was broken, and I had nothing. The only way I could cope with my depression is to sing, and that's all I've got.

I can't trust anyone, and I won't trust anyone, and I don't want to trust anyone. I don't want anyone to think that they could be a hero, or they could just fix everything. That's like giving you a beautiful glass vase, then turning around, knocking it down with their elbow and leaving you to pick up the shattered remains. It's horrible." Natalya lost herself in more sobs. She forced herself to stop, though it required lots of effort.

"And that is why I want you to fuck off before I do something I may or may not regret." She took out her knife, and began to shift her body position to emphasize that this is no bluff. That fire in her eyes bewitched him yet struck fear in him at the same time. Instinctively, he backed away, scrambling to his feet. In doing so, the poster for the contest fell out of his pockets and landed in front of her.

She eyed the upside down paper, and Roderich bent down to pick it up, but Natalya already had it in her hands.

"What's this...?" she muttered as she read the paper. She dropped the paper once finished and pondered. "One thousand dollars... a girl could surely use such cash..."

Roderich cleared his throat. "A-Are you interested in this by any chance? It seems we could both use the money and-"

"I refuse to work with a snob like you." she spat.

Roderich nodded sadly. "That's fine. It's going to be some big competition. There are many musicians and singers in town who will surely sign up. Perhaps you can ask one of them if they don't have a partner yet." Roderich sighed softly.

"I'll just enter as a solo. No biggie. Now you can go fuck off or something."

"That's the problem. You enter as a group of two only. No more no less." Roderich explained.

"And only the best will win..." Natalya pondered over this. She stood up and began pacing back and forth, twirling her knife in her hands. "Okay, here's the deal. I need this money, and so do you. One thousand bucks, that's some big cash if you ask me. Okay, we work together, write a song, perform, win, and never speak to each other again. Deal?" Natalya held out her hand.

Roderich took her hand and nodded. "Deal."

"Okay, let's go to... um... " Her voice trailed off. She had nowhere to go and didn't have a clue about where to practice. She already wanted nothing to do with this pampered white boy.

"We could go to my place. I have several instruments, and it's nice and clean there." Roderich suggested.

Natalya growled. She was hoping to avoid going there. "Okay, fine." She muttered.

They walked to his apartment. It was neat and tidy, very organized and brightly colored. There was an old piano in the living room, and a wooden dining table with two chairs. there were two bedrooms; one of the doors was labeled 'Music Room', and Natalya assumed that was where he practiced.

"What instruments do you play?" Natalya asked curiously.

Roderich scratched his chin and looked up in thought. "Hmm, let's see. I play the piano, violin, viola, cello, bass, clarinet, flute, the French-"

"Alright, alright, that's enough. You have _way_ too much time on your hands to be able to play all of that." Natalya said harshly. "I can play violin and sing. That's it."

"Okay, that's great. I've heard your singing, and it is amazing. I could never dream of such talent. We can work with this." Roderich said.

"I want to play something that will make the audience cry." Natalya spat.

"W-What?"

"I want to make everyone who listens to us perform cry. We'll make the song sad or something, just anything that is a real tearjerker. The lyrics have to captivate them, and the music has to be appealing, and not drown out the vocals. I'll write a song and sing it, and we'll work on the instrumental part."

"I love the idea." Roderich said with a smile. He wasn't used to being ordered by a woman, however. But she gave off a strong, confident vibe, and he loved it.

"Okay, let's get started." Natalya wore a mischievous smile as she took a paper and pen from Roderich's desk.

At the end of the day, Natalya had already written four possible songs, and Roderich was preparing the sheet music for each. They decided that whichever they liked best would be the one they performed.

Natalya headed for the door, ready to leave.

"H-Hey, where are you going?" Roderich asked, seeing her opening the door.

"What? I'm leaving. I'll come back tomorrow." Natalya said casually.

"But you don't really have a place to go home to..."

"I have my alley. Quit being a pussy."

"You could stay here if you'd like." Roderich offered, softly blushing. Natalya was amused by his reaction.

"I don't live here."

"Look, I know you probably have some trust issues with me-"

"I sure as hell do." She interrupted bluntly.

"-but I am willing to give my all for you. I'll feed you, you can even use my bed, and I'll sleep on the couch. I'll buy you clothes, and by the time this competition is over, we'll part our ways and never speak to each other again." He was sincere, and was hoping that she would accept.

Natalya was about to say no, but decided to think about it. It was a pretty good deal, and it seems like he meant it. But to give in, to even let him into her life just a little would mean to be vulnerable. Survival though, Food, clothes, a roof over her head and maybe even a bath didn't seem too bad. She was awfully skinny and underweight, and had been wearing the same clothes for who knows how long. She sighed.

"Fine, but don't think that it means anything. You offered, I'm accepting, not asking for it." she dictated.

The first week, Natalya acted cold and harsh, and only spoke when it referred to the contest. Roderich eventually got used to her brute attitude, but sometimes her words stung him like venom. It's not what you say, it's how you say it, and every word was coated with poison. But he treated her like a princess, hoping to soothe her mood, and make her feel that it was worth staying with him. He bought her nice clothes, even though he was short on money. He cooked for her, took her out to Starbucks, and allowed her to do whatever she pleased. Despite her cold attitude, Roderich enjoyed her company, and felt empty when she wasn't around. Sometimes, when she would look at him for more than ten seconds, he felt his heart pump faster and his chest tighten.

Natalya didn't want to enjoy staying there, and tried to ensure that he knew she didn't want to be there. But no matter how mean she was, and no matter how much of a bitch she was, he still treated her like the most important person in the world. In truth, she was grateful, and knew she shouldn't be acting like this. After all, he _was_ feeding her, and he _was_ giving her a place to stay. During the night, she would pretend to be asleep, and listen to Roderich play music. He played Mozart and Beethoven, and practiced their songs as well. She loved his music. Admired it. But the one thing she feared the most was becoming attached to him. But in her eyes, she was a damsel in distress, and him her prince to save her, and live happily ever after. But this is reality, not a fantasy.

The next and final week they had to practice with each other came, and by this time, Natalya had soften a bit. Just a little. She decided to trust him a little more, since he didn't seem like a bad guy. But she still had his guard up. They started having real conversations, getting to know each other a little more. She enjoyed his company, and loved the genuine smile he wore around her. She hated feeling this way, but really couldn't help it. How could she possibly trust another man so quickly?

Wednesday morning, they went out for their morning coffee at Starbucks. The following Friday was the competition.

"So, have you ever been in a relationship before?" Natalya asked curiously, taking a sip of her French vanilla coffee.

Roderich looked up in thought, smiling sadly. "Yes, I have, actually."

"Y'mind tellin' me about it?" She asked innocently.

"Not at all. Her name was Elizaveta. We were together for a year and a half, and I took her out one day to a fancy restaurant, not too far from here. I had spent most of my savings on a ring. At the restaurant, I had proposed to her, and she said yes. As we were crossing the street to go home, we were hit by a car, and she died instantly. I suffered severe injuries, but survived, with the painful scars of the accident as well as the memories." He took a deep breath to calm himself, and took a sip of coffee with a shaky hand. "That was nearly two years ago, and it still hurts me to this day."

Natalya was not expecting this. She thought that he had a girlfriend who left him or something, but nothing like this. He had experienced near death and watched his loved one die. She could never imagine such thing. She took his hand involuntarily, and stared deep into his eyes. All signs of her brutality and harshness were gone.

"I-I'm sorry. I could never... I... I had no idea." she said at last.

Roderich looked up at her, and smiled sadly. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault."

Friday came quickly, and Natalya had picked out their clothes. They wore dark clothes, simple yet intimidating. They packed the instruments and drove to the Trinity Community Center. They were quiet during the car ride, but they could both sense each other's emotion. Anxious, excited and nervous. When they arrived, the whole place was packed. Roderich had never seen this area that he knew so well full of so many people. He saw one man that he recognized quickly at the sight of his silver hair. Gilbert. When Roderich and Natalya got out of the car, Gilbert caught sight of them. Natalya hid her face when she saw him.

"I should have known Roddy Edelstein was going to be here!" Gilbert shouted as he approached the two. Natalya was trying to hide her face away from him. "And who's this you've got here?"

"Gilbert, I don't have time for you at the moment. We have to go sign up, and I want nothing to do with you." Roderich snapped. Natalya could sense the tension between them.

Gilbert glanced over and caught sight of her. "N-Natalya? Natalya Arlovskaya?! Oh mein gott! I cannot believe this!" Gilbert was thrown into a fit of laughter.

Roderich glanced over at Natalya, who was hiding behind him. "You two know each other?"

Natalya growled. "We kinda dated in high school." She muttered.

Gilbert wiped a tear from his eye as he calmed himself. "Well, it seems we have some competition. Hey, bruder! We're in trouble!" Gilbert ran off to his brother, Ludwing, laughing as he went.

Roderich sighed, and walked with Natalya to sign up. they were seated behind the stage, numbered 'Contestants #97'. They waited patiently, and rehearsed some of their verses together, talking quietly amongst themselves as the others performed in front of the audience and the judges.

Gilbert and Ludwing were numbered 82, and performed a cover of Maroon 5's song, "Misery". Ludwing and Gilbert played the guitar and sang as well. The crowd had gone nuts when they performed. It was some competition.

The couple to go before them was a girl from Taiwan named Xiao, and a guy from Hong Kong named Kaoru. They performed instrumentals, which received much praise from the audience. Then it was their turn.

Roderich set up the keyboard and fine tuned the instrument quickly. he hoped that the electronic wouldn't fail on him. Natalya tested the microphone and rehearsed her lines in her head. Then Roderich gave the beat, and they played their song.

The music that began captivated the audience quickly, leaving the place nearly dead silent with only the sound of Roderich's music. Then the vocals came, and everyone held their breaths at the sound of her bewitching voice.

"Somebody's gotta fire burnin'.

Somebody's gotta stop that churning.

Keep on goin' Keep on goin' steady.

My heart set ablaze

And not a soul to know

That I'm a burning madness.

Trapped in this life,

In this agony,

In this misery,

And only my skin to shield me

From this cruel, cruel world.

How can we live,

In a battlefield,

Without bleedin' just a little?

Where is that joy?

Where is that love?

It's lost in the hatred of us all.

Where is that world?

That world of care,

that I was promised as a child?

Don't tell me

Don't, don't tell me

What I am feelin'

'Cuz you only know my name,

But not my story.

Don't don't lie to me,

Please, please I'm begging you

Don't tell me it'll be okay

When the world around us

burns to ashes.

Ask, ask yourself,

Is it really true,

Are you okay,

Or are you crumblin' in the inside.

Hero or the villain?

Hunter or the hunted?

Evil or the good?

Wise or confused?

Who are we really?

What are we really?

...

We're just an opinion."

The audience boomed with cheer, and Roderich performed his solo as the crowd swayed to the music. The judges nodded their heads to the music as they scribbled judgmental nonsense thingies into their notepads.

"When the sun sets,

And your tears are gone,

and your scars still ache,

and that heart still beats,

and you keep on movin',

Will you keep, keep on believin' a dream,

Or will you make the best of this nightmare?"

The climax and end of the song left the audience screaming and applauding. Roderich and Natalya glowed with the praise, and bowed gracefully.

They sat backstage, and waited for the others to finish. After about half an hour, the top three were summoned to the stage. Those three included Gil & Lud, Xiao & Kaoru, and Nat & Rod.

The judges stood up to applause the groups, then took upon their papers to read. The woman, Mrs. Gem spoke first.

"Gilbert and Ludwing Beildshmidt. It was an excellent performance, and your voices compliment each other very well, however, your synchronization was a problem, and you both need to work on staying in tune. Xiao and Kaoru, your music was lovely, however, intination and dynamics are a thing to work on. Natalya Arlovskaya and Roderich Edelstein. You both did excellent. The electronic instruments was a splendid idea, and Natalya, I have never heard a voice so strong like yours before. You sent chills up my spine. Originality is a bonus as well. The only advice I have is to try to keep the microphone a little further from your mouth."

The man in the middle, Mr. Cardenas spoke next.

"Gilbert and Ludwing, you both did an excellent job. The song was perfect, the guitars gave me chills, and your voices are amazing. Synchronization and tempo was a problem, however. Xiao and Kaoru, your instruments compliment each other, but you seemed to lack confidence, and that reflected on your performance as well. It was shaky, quiet, and a little off beat, but great, nonetheless. Natalya and Roderich, your music, your song, certainly brought tears to my eyes. The music was dark, yet intense, and it was beautiful, however, the sound coordination and dynamics is a thing to work on. Also, your posture, Roderich, must be improved. Slouching will not give us a good impression. Lucky for you, that music was amazing."

And the last one, Mr. Williams spoke.

"Gil and Lud, both were excellent, however, you both seemed to portray some arrogance, and your lack of cautiousness cost you some points. Stay in tune and listen to each other. Xiao and Kaoru, you both need to practice your instruments more. That's all I have to say. Natalya and Roderich... keep doing what you did, because THAT is what I call talent. The only advice I have has already been given by Mr. Cardenas and Mrs. Gem. Thank you all for participating in this event."

The groups shifted nervously, and Natalya grasped Roderich's hand tightly. The judges spoke to each other briefly, then turned to the contestants.

"And our winner, for our first annual music competition is..." Mr. Cardenas shouted, hesitating for the suspenseful effect. Everyone tensed, and the audience leaned forward in their seats, awaiting the news.

Gilbert gulped nervously, and Kaoru remained emotionless. Xiao trembled nervously, and Natalya squeezed Roderich's hand as they waited.

"... Roderich and Natalya!" he announced.

Natalya and Roderich jumped in excitement and cheered, wearing big smiles as they celebrated. The crowd cheered, and confetti was thrown from the top of the stage along with balloons. Natalya threw her arms around Roderich's neck and laughed, truly happy for the first time in years. Roderich smiled, and acted without thinking. He leaned in, and pressed his lips upon hers, kissing her gently. The kiss took her by surprise, but she didn't resist. She kissed back with force, savoring her victory, and hugged him tightly. Roderich wrapped his arms around her waist, and they held a warm embrace with each other. The crowd went mad with glee at the sight of the couple. The judges approached them, interrupting their kiss to present to each of them their check for $1000. A photographer approached them and snapped a few pictures. Gilbert threw a tantrum and ranted about how unfair that was. Kaoru and Xiao merely shrugged it off, hugged and left like nothing had happened.

Natalya and Roderich went home, and later received a phone call. They had been offered a deal from a music company.

Natalya and Roderich became a duet, and wrote songs together, and made money off of it. Big cash. They became rich and famous quickly, and got married soon after. Their lives were changed drastically, and they lived a happy, wealthy life, with the company of each other.

Needless to say, they lived happily ever after, and ending none of them expected to have.

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I hope you guys enjoyed it! I was trying to write fluff but then angst happened. I mean seriously, everything I write turns into angst somehow. Write a review and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!


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